Starstream: Special Edition
by A Feather of Pepa
Summary: Three kits. One destiny. Join the epic journey with Starkit, Skykit and Moonkit as they determine their futures with the clans. Starkit, claiming an important roll in her clan, receives a distant prophacy that will change the future of the clans... forever. "Three kin entwined with the power of Fate will amend the ways of the clans forevermore..."
1. Chapter 1: Borne Rogue

Warriors

The cool night breeze howled into the twilit sky as a pack of cat silhouettes traveled toward a ruined forest. The stumps had been torn from their rightful place and the air smelled of rock and dirt. A she-cat with bright green eyes and sand-coloured fur caught up with the leader of the pack. "Brambleclaw, is it wise? To return to the place that had once been our home? I should have asked sooner, but I was uncertain."

The tom blinked at the she-cat, his brown coat rippling with muscles. "Sandstorm, it's what we had left. I'm sure the twolegs haven't completely destroyed it." Brambleclaw trotted on, leaving Sandstorm behind.

_What if he's wrong?_ Sandstorm thought. _What if they have?_ Doubtful beyond belief, Sandstorm fell in beside Poppyfrost, a young she-cat. Excitement shone in the other cat's eyes, and Sandstorm purred warmly. "Are you excited?"

Poppyfrost nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to see where all the Great Battles have been held!"

"I'll warn you now: It's not what it used to be." Sandstorm replied cautiously. _Definitely not._

The ThunderClan cats arrived wearily in the old camp. The thorn tunnel had been torn down by the twoleg monsters and the High Rock was smashed. Everything they've ever known was destroyed. Sandstorm charged up to Brambleclaw and thrust her muzzle in his face. "Happy now?" She snapped, pelt bristling with anger. Without waiting for a reply, Sandstorm raced out of the camp, unable to bear the looks of her old home.

Trotting around the ruins, Sandstorm opened her jaws and tasted the air, only to find to her disappointment that there was no prey. _Great Starclan, why did this have to happen? _She inwardly wailed, clawing at the ground in nervous habit.

A wail sounded far off. Pricking her ears, Sandstorm followed the sound and came across the old Thunderpath. The wail sounded closer, and Sandstorm realized that she had to cross it. Carefully looking down both sides, she ran across so fast that she tore her claw. Yowling in pain, Sandstorm licked the empty thumb part fiercely and sighed.

Listening closely, the wail was sounding very close now. And she recognized it to be… a kit's wail. Dashing towards the sound, Sandstorm skidded to a halt when the she-cat spotted the abandoned twoleg camp. Cautiously stepping inside, Sandstorm tasted the air and smelled milk and warmth, as well as something off. Following the scent, the she-cat gasped with horror at what she found. Lying in the corner of the dull and dark room, a dead rogue was found. And beside her were three whimpering kits. "Great Starclan!" She breathed. Without thinking, Sandstorm sidled up to the three kits and wrapped herself around them. Two were toms and one was a she-kit. "What is your name, little one?" Sandstorm murmured to the awakened she-kit.

"Star." The kit piped up, staring at her mother's dead body. "Will Lolani be okay?"

Not knowing what she should say, Sandstorm nosed the kit gently. "I'm sorry, Star, I really am."

"So she's really gone?"

"Yes. She's gone."

The kit shivered. "Those are my brothers, Sky and Moon."

Purring soothingly, Sandstorm flicked her gaze to each tom. "Interesting names…" Sandstorm sighed. "Would you come with me? We have a home back over the mountains. You could live with me there, if you like."

Star looked at her with wide eyes. "Can we really?" She asked eagerly.

Sandstorm purred at the young kit's excitement. "Really really." The she-cat nosed the other two kits awake. The toms yawned and mewled, unaware that their mother was dead. They purred and curled up to Sandstorm. Startled, the she-cat nudged them up. "Little ones," She mewed. "We must travel."

Yawning, the little cats stumbled with Sandstorm out of the twoleg camp. Sandstorm picked up the smallest by it's scruff and lead the others back towards the old camp. Brambleclaw met them at the old exit, bewildered at Sandstorm's find. "What exactly happened?" He demanded, sniffing the kits that were following closely behind.

She glared at the tom. "While you wanted to _revisit_," She hissed, "_I_ went to find out what that wailing was." If Firestar were here, Sandstorm wouldn't have to put up with this. "Anyway. Their mother is dead, so I invited them to join our clan. You _will_ accept them, _won't_ you?" _I dare you to say no._ Sandstorm thought.

Doubtfully, the deputy sighed. "Sandstorm..." He began, "we don't need anymore kittypets. Daisy and her kits are already there, besides Millie. It will make us look weak in front of other clans."

Getting an idea, the she-cat pricked her ears in excitement. "But that's just it! Shadowclan took in rogues in the time of Tiger and Lion," Brambleclaw flinched, but Sandstorm continued. "But these aren't kittypets anyway. There mother was a rogue. And, I can pretend that they are _my_ kits!"

Brambleclaw blinked. "That just might work."

**~ONE MOON LATER~**

"But why? Why can't we be apprentices too?"

Sandstorm sighed, curling up in her nest as Starkit nagged her. They had just arrived in the clan, and along the journey Sandstorm had taught all three of them the warrior code. And now, Starkit was being absolutely stubborn. "Starkit, go outside and bug Firestar." Sandstorm couldn't wait to see Firestar's reaction to the eager kit. The kits were only one moon old when Sandstom found them; they were only four more moons away to being apprentices.

"Okay!" Tail sticking up like a pinecone, Starkit shot out of the nursery. Straining her ears, the Queen listened for Starkit's nagging. A surprised hiss sounded from Firestar; the she-cat purred as she pictured the kit sneaking up on him.

"Starkit, if you want to be an apprentice so badly, go clean out the elder's den!" Firestar mewed exagerately. "Here; let's go get Ivypaw to show you how it's done." Sandstorm listened to the fading pawsteps.

Sighing in relief, Sandstorm rested her head on her paws. "At least I won't have to listen to her anymore..." And with that, she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Who Knows?

"Starkit, from this day forward until you reach your warrior ceremony, you shall be known as Starpaw. Cloudtail, you have mentored Brightheart well and I hope you pass that knowledge down to your new apprentice." Firestar's call rang around the hollow.

Cloudtail stepped forward proudly and touched noses with Starpaw.

"Don't worry," He whispered. "I know what it's like to not be Clanborn. You can still be a brave, loyal warrior."

Happily, Starpaw purred. "I hope I can serve my clan well." Moonpaw and Skypaw were waiting at the edge of the crowd with their new mentors, Dustpelt and Berrynose. Starpaw tried to catch their eyes and succeeded, and all three of them exchanged gazes of excitement. _We're apprentices at last!_

Berrynose trotted over to Cloudtail, Skypaw following closely. "So, should we train them together?" He suggested. "The more mentors, the better."

Cloudtail nodded in agreement. "Good choice. We should start with hunting techniques; after they learn to finish prey, they could easily learn to bite their opponents shoulder."

Starpaw clawed the stone beneath her. "So what're we waiting for? Great Starclan, let's just get started!" Purring, Moonpaw and Skypaw murmured in agreement. Cloudtail, Dustpelt and Berrynose all sighed. Leading the apprentices out, the mentors took them past the thorn tunnel and into the lush forest.

"Thank Starclan that newleaf has come," Berrynose muttered, sniffing the air. Cloudtail just snorted. Birds sang their songs as Starpaw passed through, and sunlight dazzled the forest floor wherever she stepped. The smell of fresh herbs and pine needles filled the air, and Starpaw tasted something delicious. "What's that?" She asked Cloudtail, opening her jaws to drink in the scent.

Cloudtail sniffed the air and immediately pressed against the warm ground, Berrynose and Dustpelt telling their apprentices to do the same. Starpaw copied her mentor. "That," He hissed quietly, "Is a rabbit. Here, let me show you the stalking position." Cloudtail crouched with his tail off the ground so it wouldn't drag in the leaves. Then, he began to creep forward like a snake, his eyes focusing on a dead leaf. Then when he was just tail lengths away, Cloudtail leapt silently and landed on top of the leaf, swooping it with his paw and snapping his jaws around it. Spitting it out, he snorted with disgust. "Okay, try not to eat leaves when you practice. Starpaw, did you catch all of that?"

Starpaw nodded. "Yes. Can I try and track the rabbit?" Cloudtail nodded. Scenting the air, Starpaw closed her eyes and focused. The scent seemed to lead just behind the tree she was looking at previously. Opening her eyes again, she crawled quietly on the forest floor and slid behind a bush. Right there, in the open clearing, was a plump, white rabbit. It was nibbling on a seed not far from her, and the wind was carrying the rabbit's scent toward Starpaw. Dropping into a hunter's crouch, the apprentice crept forward and lifted her tail slightly, and just when she was tail lengths away she jumped onto her prey and landed a swift killing bite to the neck. Triumphal, Starpaw carried her freshly caught prey to where the others had been waiting. She noticed, to her surprise, that her black tabby brother, Moonpaw, had his hazel eyes fixed on a mouse he had caught. Starpaw happily skipped over to her fluffy white mentor. "Look!" she said proudly. "Look at what I caught!"

Growling, Cloudtail mewed, "Don't brag."

Ignoring her grumpy mentor, Starpaw clawed the ground. "Can we learn to fish now?" She inquired eagerly.

Dustpelt, Berrynose, and Cloudtail all looked at her like she was insane.

"Where do your loyalties lie?" Berrynose sniffed. "I bet she wouldn't even last one gathering without sharing with Riverclan our clan secrets."

Hurt, Starpaw rounded her eyes and mewed, "What's wrong with fish? My old mother used to bring fish back to us."

Snorting, Berrynose stuck his nose in the air. "I bet that was the only resource your mother had. Rogues are thieves in disguise. We all know it."

"Berrynose!" Growling, Cloudtail cuffed Berrynose's ear with his paw. Tails thrashing, the two toms circled each other, ready to fight. Dustpelt wrapped his tail around Moonpaw and guided him backwards, giving Starpaw and Skypaw a nod to show them to do the same.

"Stop!" A voice yowled.

Cloudtail and Berrynose both looked in the direction of the voice. It was a hunting patrol, with Firestar in lead and Sandstorm, Brightheart, Spiderleg and Leafpool following. "What are you doing?" Firestar growled. His green eyes were shimmering angrily and his fiery pelt was tufted up like a pinecone.

"We were just teaching the apprentices how to use a certain battle move," Berrynose lied.

Firestar pricked his ears and narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to show them the territory first?" He asked suspiciously.

Cloudtail dipped his head. "Of course. Come on, Starpaw." He shot a triumphal look at Berrynose before walking off in the direction of the lake. Starpaw followed closely, aware of Berrynose's glare burning into her back. Skypaw and Moonpaw brushed their pelts comfortingly against their sister, trying to tell her that Berrynose was just being… well, Berrynose.

Dustpelt pelted at Berrynose's pace and murmured a few words that Starpaw couldn't catch and didn't care if she did. Then Berry sighed in defeat and lowered his ears, shaking his head very slowly.

By the time they reached the Windclan border, Starpaw could see the long moor stretching for miles. The sun beamed down, setting the grass aglow. "It's beautiful," Starpaw breathed quietly, making sure that only Moonpaw and Skypaw could hear.

"Yeah," Agreed her brown tabby brother, Skypaw. "It reminds me where we used to live."

Their black and white brother, Moonpaw, fiercely lifted the fur on his shoulders. "But we live here now!" He mewed determinedly, "We can't dwell on the past!"

Cloudtail interjected in their conversation. "This here is the Windclan territory." Starpaw began to growl, as did her brothers. They _knew_ that already.

"I know!" The she-cat snapped. She bushed up her fur. "I also know that Riverclan territory is that way," She flicked her tail toward the other side of the lake, "And I know that the Shadowclan is over there!" She pointed with her nose to the direction of Shadowclan's territory.

Cloudtail widened his eyes. "How?" He whispered, taking a pace back.

She met his puzzled gaze steadily. "I don't know."


End file.
